Cloth car seat clean up without extractor

[duffthebluff]

Hey guys, I was just wondering how do other detailers clean cloth car seat without using an extractor but with steamer? My steps are as follows (all for car seat only):

Vacuum
Spray detergent solution with water
Scrub with brush
Spot treatment with APC for stubborn stains
Steam
Wipe with microfiber cloth
Vacuum

Can you guys guide me in the correct procedure and chemicals? Thanks!

[Dan Tran]

This is what worked for me in the past and worked for me recently:

• Vacuum
• Treat with Mc37 HI-APC (2-3 min dwell)
• Swipe with MF Towel
• Mist with APC again
• Agitate with an upholstery brush
• Many passes with steam (with a MF Towel)
• Knuckle twist a drying towel into the upholstery
• TAH DAH!!

Perfect time for this post. I just did this yesterday with this method.

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[JCDetails]

2 things:

1.) You may want to steam both before and after APC. steam can help to break up some of the stuff on its own.

2.) What kind of stains are you going after? Dependent upon the type, an alkaline product like an APC may actually set the stain or lead to the stain wicking back up after you're done. You may need different cleaners to get rid of what you're after.

[duffthebluff]

2 things:

1.) You may want to steam both before and after APC. steam can help to break up some of the stuff on its own.

2.) What kind of stains are you going after? Dependent upon the type, an alkaline product like an APC may actually set the stain or lead to the stain wicking back up after you're done. You may need different cleaners to get rid of what you're after.

Thanks for the insight, for your 2nd question, it's all different kinds of stuff. May I know what other chemicals I can use for upholstery beside APC?

[duffthebluff]

That looks gorgeous mate! Thanks for the tips, love it!

[UncleDavy]

Most stains found in seats and carpets are protein based and require an alkaline cleaner to break them down. Most APCs and dedicated fabric cleaners are alkaline. Some APCs will have higher pH levels and could cause possible damage to carpet or cloth fibers. It is better to use a dedicated fabric or carpet cleaner that is formulated to remove the stain but leave the fabric unharmed. It is best to start with the least aggressive product first (pH neutral), and then work your way up to a pH of 10.

[ScubaCougr]

You can mimic most of an extractor using your wet vac and a claw- shaped nozzle. As others note, a good cleaner and warm water can do wonders.

[duffthebluff]

You can mimic most of an extractor using your wet vac and a claw- shaped nozzle. As others note, a good cleaner and warm water can do wonders.

Thanks for all the suggestions and tips! Really helpful! One last thing, whenever I pat my seats hard either with my hand or stick, a lot of dust comes out. Any idea on how can I get these dusts out without using an extractor?

[Mantilgh]

I always vacuum and agitate at the same time when possible. Brush in one hand and the nozzle in the other moving them back and forth side by side together anywhere I can.

It’s surprising how many spots you can remove with just the vacuum and a brush.

I don’t use an extractor or steamer, just a few different chemicals.

I use a dilutable citrus solvent product that breaks things down well and dries fairly quickly.

I did this seat yesterday with a few sprays and some agitation, then a dry towel to pull out what I could. I repeated this a time or two until I was content. It probably could have used another round to get it perfect.

I’ll see the car again in a week or two and will look to see if any spots came back.

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[Larry A]

Buy a can of Tuff Stuff foam, spray on, brush, repeat wipe with a towel . It works for me. For light duty cleaning , mix some ammonia in a bucket of worm water , dunk in towel ring out and rub the fabric. I know, I know, ammonia smells , but it will pull all oders out of the fabric when dry . You also wont have resoiling.

[fightnews]

Is it worth using a steamer if you dont have an extractor? Are people using the steam with a microfiber for cloth seats? Is that the standard operating procedure?

[Dan Tran]

Doing things the old fashion way without any machines will still yield results.

A machine will enhance the process. For example, when used in junction with pre-treating a spot with APC, the steam will help enhance the cleaning agent—if that makes sense. Trust me this has worked for me.

Using a steamer will make life easier on a lot of occasions.

There has only been less than a handful of times I desired an extractor. But as someone already mentioned somewhere—you can shampoo up the spot and use a wet vac in the same manner as an extractor.

WORD OF CAUTION: in my experience with this method is don’t get too ambitious by using the claw attachment. Rather using a narrower and smaller attachment will sunction the liquid better. The claw will not extract at a good pace.

A steamer plus microfiber is how myself and many have used it.


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[fightnews]

Doing things the old fashion way without any machines will still yield results.

A machine will enhance the process. For example, when used in junction with pre-treating a spot with APC, the steam will help enhance the cleaning agent—if that makes sense. Trust me this has worked for me.

Using a steamer will make life easier on a lot of occasions.

There has only been less than a handful of times I desired an extractor. But as someone already mentioned somewhere—you can shampoo up the spot and use a wet vac in the same manner as an extractor.

WORD OF CAUTION: in my experience with this method is don’t get too ambitious by using the claw attachment. Rather using a narrower and smaller attachment will sunction the liquid better. The claw will not extract at a good pace.

A steamer plus microfiber is how myself and many have used it.


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So you just rub the area with the microfiber with the steam going? It just seems like all your doing is rubbing in the dirt. Steam or no steam. If I just rubbed a stain with a dry towel I wouldn't be cleaning I'd just be rubbing the dirt in. The steam just makes it wet no?

[MarkD51]

Way back in the day, I'd vacuum fully first, then I'd simply used a spray foam can of the off the shelf stuff of various brands, Westley's. Blue Coral, whatnot, and would have a bucket of hot water, a soft scrub brush and a small washcloth or two. The idea was to do this job first, in hopes of returning vehicle to someone with dry upholstery-carpets.

Today, the same methods work fine, or the use of Folex Cleaner. I've found such safe for seat upholstery as well as carpets.

I have in more recent times resorted to the use of a home Bissel or Hoover Carpet Steam Cleaner with Wand Attachment, but I have on occasion had problems, particularly with older vehicles that extraction would "pull" nasties, like a yellow-orangish dye from the seat foam bolsters. This became a bad clean up problem all on its own. Some of this I noted may have also been the result of over-saturating the upholstery with solution.

And again, I had to repeat and resort to the old fashioned way I first mention above to get proper end results.